


Clara-fication

by allonsytastic



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-29 04:45:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11433435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsytastic/pseuds/allonsytastic
Summary: There's no doubt that someone's been tinkering with the literary timelines.(The Doctor accidentally gets all of Clara's favourite books named after her)





	Clara-fication

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Clara Oswald's favourite piece of literature in all the universe _(and whatever lies beyond)_ is Jane Austen's inimitable masterpiece, _Pride and Prejudice_.

And so, when she sets foot in a bookstore on a rainy Saturday afternoon, she naturally strolls toward the 'classics' section to glance over the newest editions. Out of habit, she picks up a copy of her _all-time favourite_ to treat herself to a few paragraphs of nostalgia - only to find herself utterly perplexed by the blurb on the back cover:

_...The unforgettable story of Miss Clara Bennet and Doctor Darcy..._

Miss _Clara_ Bennet?... _Doctor_ Darcy?

_Weird._ Specifically, it's that particular brand of weirdness which is usually accompanied by the sudden appearance of a certain Time Lord. Clara glances upwards - instinctively scanning her surroundings for a familiar blue box or a shock of grey hair hiding behind one of the nearby shelves - but to no avail. Neither are to be found anywhere in her immediate vicinity.

A curious frown appears on her face as her gaze wanders over the other books on display, and is caught by good ol' Will Shakespeare's _'Doctor Romeo and Clara'_ , which is stacked neatly in between F. Scott Fitzgerald's _'The Great Clara'_ and Oscar Wilde's _'The Importance of Being Clara'._

 

A tour through the rest of the store reveals a row of unusual alterations to various pieces of fiction, culminating in _'Clara Oswald and the Half Blood Prince'_ , which she stumbles upon in the _Young Adults_ ' section. There is no doubt that someone's been tinkering with the literary timelines. There's _also_ no doubt as to that particular someone's identity. All she's missing _now_ is his current location.

As if on cue, the low groan of the TARDIS' materialization circuits drifts to her from the back of the store, the final _thunk_ of the landing sequence instantly followed by the sound of the doors being thrown open and hurried footsteps approaching.

_"Clara, don't pick up any of the..."_ an out-of-breath Doctor proclaims in panic as he storms towards her from behind a row of self-help gardening guidebooks. He comes to a sudden halt upon catching sight of her, and his fretful expression is replaced by a look of genuine horror as he glimpses the open volume of Douglas Adams' _'Clara's Guide to the Galaxy'_ in her hands.

 

There is something both utterly enjoyable and genuinely captivating about watching the Doctor squirm as he tries to come up with a dignified escape from the situation. _2000 years old and still a complete Dork - at this point he's reached a level of adorableness that is plainly ridiculous,_ Clara thinks to herself.

The Doctor blinks nervously, as he finally settles for an attempt at a casual approach: _"Clara... there's a perfectly... reasonable... explanation for this."_

_"Oh, I'm sure there is."_  she grins, not willing to let him off the hook so easily.

He pauses for a moment, considering her _"You're not going to give me any leeway, are you?"_

_"Actually, you know what? I bet you ten Tereleptian credits I can figure it out myself. There has to be some common link between all of the altered books."_

_"Clara, it's you. You're the link. These are all your favourite books - or at least all of the ones you told me about."_

 

_"So you got them all named after me? Doctor, I'm touched - I really am - but you have to admit it's somewhat confusing."_

_"No that isn't it... Clara, do you remember when we were stuck in that prison cell back on Tereleptos-5, and you told me about the time you'd first read_ Pride and Prejudice _? How you went through it thrice within four days, just because you loved it so much? How you once bought five copies of_ The Great Gatsby _because you kept losing yours on the tube? - Or how you can't take your next-door neighbour seriously because the name Marvin always makes you think of a depressed robot? I know how much you love those stories and I want to share that excitement with you, but I'm just useless when it comes to all the nuances of human literature. The grand gestures and the little moments - I can never seem to get them right... So, obviously, I went back in time to talk to the authors and creators of all your favourites so that I would understand what it is that grips your imagination."_

_"Well, obviously."_ Clara is finding it increasingly hard to retain her trademark sarcasm in the face of the Doctor's genuinely touching gesture. Curse that considerate idiot for being so goddamn lovable.

 

_"Still, that doesn't really explain the titles..."_

_"Ah. Well."_ He seems properly nervous now, his gaze fixed at the floor, unconciously drawing uncertain circles on the ground with his right foot.

_"I may have gotten a little carried away when I was telling them about you... I mean, Clara, you can't go around being such a brilliant person and expect me to_ not _talk about you constantly."_ he adds so quietly, that Clara almost misses it.

_"Must've left quite an impression, eh?"_ she smiles. Not the teasing grin from before, but a warm, loving smile. She can see him starting to apoligise but stops him right in his tracks, hugging him as tightly as she possibly can and whispering: _"Doctor, I swear, if you as much as try to apologise for any of this, I will personally go and tell Tolkien to rename Smeagol after you. Don't you dare be sorry for being perfect."_

 


End file.
